19 



The better to do so I shall quote from a pamphlet written by Mr. 

 Glascott of Alderton, a man who constantly hunted with the third 

 Marquis and also with Briscoe, although he lived in the co. Wexford 

 and had the most inconvenient means for visiting us. 



That gentleman took for his theme the sport of Mr. Briscoe's third 

 season only, but I can assure my readers that we had several still 

 better, and the one chosen is but a fair sample of the sport we had 

 from 1859 to 1870. 



CUEEAGHMOEE HUNT, SeASON 18G1-62. 



" Hounds were out sixty-eight days. 



"Killed forty-one foxes and ran sixty-one to ground, thus account- 

 ing for one hundred and two foxes. 



"They had twenty first-class runs of from thirty minutes upwards, 

 with many good things of from ten to twenty minutes, at such a pace 

 that only the light-weights and thoroughbreds could live in." 



Mr. Glascott records the particulars of several of the above, which, 

 though highly interesting to one like myself who had the good fortune 

 to participate in most of them, would, as I said before, be tedious 

 to the general reader ; so I shall refer to only four, which were given by 

 the same fox, and are of extraordinary celebrity. They were all from 

 the Owning or Annefield portion of the Welch mountains, and over 

 beautiful lines far away into the Kilkenny hunting grounds, passing 

 through and far beyond those parts known as the Wynn's Gorse 

 and Kilmoganny country, and in one instance on to Callan and Kells. 

 This good fox, known as "The Annefield Fox," always beat the 

 hounds ; but I know in, at least, two of the runs he was relieved by 

 a fresh one. Anyway, it was the same fox which was found on the 

 four memorable occasions, and he gave us the cream of the cream 

 before he shifted the pride of leadership on to another good one. 

 What became of him I never could satisfactorily find out ; but I heard 

 he died in a wet drain, or was found dead near it, after the run of 

 11th April, 1862. Here are the particulars : — 



17th Dec, 1861. From Annefield 1 hour 40 min,, 15 mile'. 



28th Jan., 1862. ,, Talbot's Gorse* ... 4 ,, 5 ,, 28 ,, 



24th March, 1862. ,, Annefield 1 ,, 28 ,, 14 „ 



11th April, 1862. ,, Talbofs Gorse ...2 „ 5 ,, 17 ,, 



The record of such a season's sport with one pack of hounds, hunting- 

 only two days a week, as Mr. Glascott says, "deserves to be handed 

 down to our sons' sons." He concludes with these remarks : — 



"The hunting hounds consist generally of twenty-five to thirty 

 couple, standing about 2-2h inches, of great length, bone, and muscle, 

 which on a near inspection surprises you, as looking at them side- 

 ways from a little distance as they step along to cover — brought 

 out as they are in condition fit to go — they appear light, lengthy 



*Talbot's Gorse was only a small patch of furze ou Castletown hill, aud not a regular covert. 



